The 4 letter words with definitions, separated alphabetically.
Now updated for CSW24. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| naam | (Hist. law) the action of taking another's goods by distraint; goods so taken > NAAMS. Also NAM. |
| naan | (Hindi) a kind of Indian bread > NAANS. Also NAN. |
| nabe | A neighbourhood movie theatre > NABES. |
| nabk | (Arabic) a tree, the Christ's-thorn > NABKS. [Arabic nebk]. Also NEBBUK, NEBEK, NEBECK. |
| nabs | (3rd.) NAB, to seize. |
| nach | (Hindi) an entertainment in India consisting chiefly of dancing by professional dancing girls > NACHES. Also NAUTCH. |
| nada | (Spanish) nothing; nothingness > NADAS. |
| nads | (Sl.) testicles. No NAD*. |
| naes | (Pl.) NAE, no. |
| naff | Tacky > NAFFER, NAFFEST; NAFFLY; (verb) to go away > NAFFS, NAFFING, NAFFED. |
| naga | (Sanskrit) a snake, especially the cobra; a divine snake (Hindu mythology) > NAGAS. |
| nags | (3rd.) NAG, to worry or annoy constantly. |
| naif | (Fr.) ingenuous > NAIFLY; (noun) a naive person > NAIFS. Also NAIVE. |
| naik | (Hindi) the rank of corporal in the Indian army > NAIKS. |
| nail | To fasten with a nail (a slender piece of metal) > NAILS, NAILING, NAILED. |
| nain | (Scots) one's own. |
| nala | (Hindi) a ravine, a watercourse > NALAS. [Hindi nala]. Also NULLAH, NULLA, NALLAH, NALLA. |
| name | To give a title to > NAMES, NAMING, NAMED. |
| nams | (Pl.) NAM, the action of taking another's goods by distraint. |
| namu | (Maori) a black New Zealand sandfly > NAMU. No -S. |
| nana | (Aus. sl.) an idiot, a fool > NANAS. |
| nane | (Scots) none. |
| nang | (Sl.) excellent, cool. |
| nano | the science that deals with materials on an atomic or molecular scale > NANOS. |
| nans | (Pl.) NAN, a kind of Indian lightly leavened bread. |
| naoi | (Pl.) NAOS, the inner cell of a temple. |
| naos | (Greek) the inner cell of a temple > NAOI or NAOSES. |
| napa | A kind of soft leather prepared from sheep- or goat-skin by a special tawing process > NAPAS. [From Napa in California]. Also NAPPA. |
| nape | The back of the neck; (verb) to attack with napalm > NAPES, NAPING, NAPED. |
| naps | (3rd.) NAP, to take a short sleep. |
| narc | (Abbr.) narcotic > NARCS. |
| nard | An East Indian plant of the valerian family, used from remote ages in Oriental perfumery; an ointment made from this; (verb) to anoint with nard > NARDS, NARDING, NARDED. |
| nare | A nostril, esp. a hawk's > NARES. [L. naris, nostril]. |
| nark | (Romany) a police informer; (verb) to inform on, to annoy > NARKS, NARKING, NARKED. [Romany nak, nose]. |
| nary | (Dial.) not any. |
| nats | (Pl.) NAT, a nationalist. |
| nave | The largest part of church where the congregation sits > NAVES. |
| navs | (Pl.) NAV, navigation. |
| navy | A nation's warships > NAVIES. |
| nays | (Pl.) NAY, a denial. |
| naze | A headland or cape > NAZES. |
| nazi | (Ger.) a type of fascist > NAZIS. [Ger. short form of Nationalsozialist, National Socialist]. |
| neal | An aphetic form of ANNEAL, to heat and cool metal gradually to temper > NEALS, NEALING, NEALED. |
| neap | The tidal period of least difference between high and low tides; (verb) to tend towards the neap > NEAPS, NEAPING, NEAPED. |
| near | Close at hand > NEARER, NEAREST; NEARLY; (verb) to approach > NEARS, NEARING, NEARED. |
| neat | Tidy > NEAT, NEATEST; NEATLY; (noun) cattle > NEATS. |
| nebs | (Pl.) NEB, a beak or bill. |
| neck | To kiss and caress in lovemaking > NECKS, NECKING, NECKED. |
| neds | (Pl.) NED, young hooligan. |
| need | To have an urgent or essential use for > NEEDS, NEEDING, NEEDED. |
| neem | (Hindi) an East Indian tree > NEEMS. Also NEEMB, NIM, NIMB. |
| neep | (Scots) a turnip > NEEPS. |
| nefs | (Pl.) NEF, a church nave. |
| negs | (Pl.) NEG, a photographic negative. |
| neif | (Obs.) the fist > NEIFS. Also NEAFE, NEAFFE, NEIVE, NIEF, NIEVE. |
| neks | (Pl.) NEK, a col, a pass. |
| nema | A NEMATODE, a parasitic worm with an unsegmented, cylindrical body > NEMAS. |
| nemn | (Obs.) to name > NEMNS, NEMNING, NEMNED, NEMPT. |
| nene | (Hawaiian) a kind of goose native to Hawaii > NENES. |
| neon | A gaseous element > NEONS, NEONED. |
| neps | (Pl.) NEP, catmint. |
| nerd | A person obsessed with computers at the expense of human interaction > NERDS. Also NURD. |
| nerf | (v) to reduce the effectiveness of (a character, weapon, etc) to achieve greater competitive balance. |
| nerk | A fool, an idiot > NERKS. |
| nesh | Soft, crumbly; tender > NESHER, NESHEST. |
| ness | A headland > NESSES. |
| nest | To build a nest (a structure for holding bird eggs) > NESTS, NESTING, NESTED. |
| nete | (Greek) the highest note of a lyre > NETES. [Gk. nete or neate (chorde), literally, lowest (string)]. |
| nets | (3rd.) NET, to catch in a net. |
| nett | To net > NETTS, NETTING, NETTED. |
| neuk | (Scots) a nook > NEUKS. |
| neum | A succession of notes sung to one syllable > NEUMS. Also NEUME. |
| neve | (Fr.) old compressed snow, aka FIRN > NEVES. |
| nevi | (Pl.) NEVUS, a birthmark. |
| newb | a newbie > NEWBS. |
| news | (Verb) to report > NEWSES, NEWSING, NEWSED. |
| newt | A tailed amphibian of the salamander family > NEWTS. |
| next | Nearest > NEXTLY; (noun) the next thing or person > NEXTS. |
| ngai | Clan or tribe, as used before the names of certain Maori tribes. |
| nibs | (3rd.) NIB, to provide with a nib. |
| nice | Agreeable > NICER, NICEST; NICELY. |
| nick | To make a shallow cut in > NICKS, NICKING, NICKED. |
| nide | A pheasant's nest or brood; (verb) to nest > NIDES, NIDING, NIDED. Also NID. |
| nidi | (Pl.) NIDUS, a nest or breeding-place. |
| nids | (Pl.) NID, a pheasant's nest. |
| nied | (Pt.) NIE, to nigh. |
| nief | (Obs.) the fist > NIEFS. Also NEIF, NEAFE, NEAFFE, NIEVE, NEIVE. |
| nies | (3rd.) NIE, to nigh. |
| nife | The earth's hypothetical core of nickel and iron > NIFES. |
| niff | To pong > NIFFS, NIFFING, NIFFED. |
| nigh | Near > NIGHER, NIGHEST, NARRE, NEIST; (verb) to draw near to > NIGHS, NIGHING, NIGHED. |
| nill | Not to will; to refuse > NILLS, NILLING, NOULD, NOULDE, NILLED. |
| nils | (Pl.) NIL, nothing. |
| nimb | (Hindi) an East Indian tree > NIMBS. Also NEEM, NEEMB, NIM. |
| nims | (3rd.) NIM, to take or steal. |
| nine | A number > NINES. |
| nipa | (Malay) a low-growing E. Indian palm, aka ATTAP or ATAP > NIPAS. |
| nips | (3rd.) NIP, to pinch. |
| nirl | (Scots) a lump, a crumb; a stunted person; (verb) to stunt, shrivel > NIRLS, NIRLING, NIRLED or NIRLIT. |
| nish | (Coll.) nothing > NISHES. |
| nisi | (Lat.) taking effect at a specified date unless cause is shown otherwise. No -S. |
| nite | (Coll.) night > NITES. |
| nits | (Pl.) NIT, the egg of a louse or similar insect. |
| nixe | (Pl.) NIX, a water-sprite. |
| nixy | A female NIX or malignant water-spirit > NIXIES. Also NIXIE. |
| noah | (Aust. sl.) a shark > NOAHS. (Rhyming slang > Noah's ark). |
| nobs | (Pl.) NOB, a person of high social rank. |
| nock | To notch a bow or arrow > NOCKS, NOCKING, NOCKED. |
| node | A swollen enlargement > NODES. |
| nodi | (Pl.) NODUS, a knotty point, difficulty. |
| nods | (3rd.) NOD, to move the head forward in assent or greeting. |
| noel | A Christmas carol > NOELS. |
| noes | (Pl.) NO. |
| nogg | An egg-nog or similar drink > NOGGS. Also NOG. |
| nogs | (Pl.) NOG, an egg and alcohol drink. |
| noil | Short fibers combed from long fibers during textile preparation > NOILS. |
| noir | (Fr.) a type of crime fiction > NOIRS. |
| nole | The top of the head; the noddle > NOLES. Also NOLL, NOUL, NOWL, NOULE. |
| noll | The top of the head; the noddle > NOLLS. Also NOUL, NOWL, NOULE, NOLE. |
| nolo | (Lat.) a type of legal plea > NOLOS. |
| noma | An ulceration of the cheek > NOMAS. |
| nome | (Greek) a province or department esp. in ancient Greece > NOMES. Also NOMOS. |
| noms | (Pl.) NOM, name. |
| nona | A virus disease > NONAS. |
| none | One of seven canonical daily periods for prayer and devotion > NONES. |
| nong | (Aust. sl.) a fool, an idiot > NONGS. |
| noni | (Hawaiian) a tree of SE Asia whose fruit provides a possibly health-promoting juice > NONIS. |
| noob | An Internet novice > NOOBS. |
| nook | A corner in a room > NOOKS. Also NEUK. |
| noon | The middle point of the day; (verb) to rest at noon > NOONS, NOONING, NOONED. |
| noop | (Scott) a knob, the tip of the elbow > NOOPS. |
| nope | (Coll.) no. |
| nori | (Japanese) a kind of seaweed, used as a foodstuff in Japan > NORIS. |
| nork | (Aust. sl.) a woman's breast > NORKS. |
| norm | A standard regarded as typical for a specific group > NORMS, NORMED. |
| nose | (Verb) to sniff with the nose > NOSES, NOSING, NOSED. |
| nosh | (Yiddish) food; (verb) to eat > NOSHES, NOSHING, NOSHED. |
| nosy | Prying > NOSIER, NOSIEST; NOSILY; (noun) a nosy person > NOSIES. Also NOSEY. |
| nota | (Pl.) NOTUM, the dorsal aspect of the thorax in insects. |
| note | To write down > NOTES, NOTING, NOTED. |
| nott | With close-cropped hair. |
| noul | The top of the head; the noddle > NOULS. Also NOLL, NOWL, NOULE, NOLE. |
| noun | A word used to denote the name of something > NOUNS. |
| noup | (Scots) in the Shetlands, a crag, a steep headland > NOUPS. |
| nous | (Greek) pure intellect; reason; commonsense > NOUSES. |
| nout | (Dial.) nothing. Also NOWT. |
| nova | (Lat.) an exploding star > NOVAE or NOVAS. |
| nowl | The top of the head; the noddle > NOWLS. Also NOLL, NOUL, NOULE, NOLE. |
| nown | (Obs.) own. |
| nows | (Pl.) NOW, the present time. |
| nowt | (Dial.) nothing > NOWTS. Also NOUT. |
| nowy | Having a convex curvature near the middle. No comp! |
| noys | (Pl.) NOY, to hurt or annoy. |
| nubs | (3rd.) NUB, to hang. |
| nude | Without clothes > NUDER, NUDEST; NUDELY; (noun) someone without clothes > NUDES. |
| nuff | (Sl.) enough. |
| nugs | (Pl.) NUG, a chunk of wood sawn from a log. |
| nuke | (Verb) to destroy by use of nuclear weapons > NUKES, NUKING, NUKED. |
| null | (Verb) to annul, cancel, make void > NULLS, NULLING, NULLED. |
| numb | Without feeling > NUMBER, NUMBEST; NUMBLY; (verb) to make numb > NUMBS, NUMBING, NUMBED. |
| nuns | (Pl.) NUN, a female member of a religious order. |
| nurd | A person obsessed with computers at the expense of human interaction > NURDS, NURDY. Also NERD. |
| nurl | To cut with reeding or fluting on the edge of, as coins, the heads of screws, etc > NURLS, NURLING, NURLED. Also KNURL. |
| nurr | A knot in wood > NURRS. Also KNAUR, KNURR, KNUR, NUR. |
| nurs | (Pl.) NUR, a knob or knot in wood. |
| nuts | (Pl.) NUT, popularly, any fruit with an edible seed in a hard shell. |
| nyah | an interjection used to express contempt for another. |
| nyas | (Obs.) = EYAS, a young hawk taken from the nest for training > NYASES |
| nyed | (Pt.) NYE, to draw nigh. |
| nyes | (3rd.) NYE, to nigh. |